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Premier League teams splash the cash

The pandemic has not hit Premier League transfer spending as much as many anticipated.   This was not the case in La Liga, Serie and the Bundesliga where spending fell drastically from last summer.   La Liga and the Bundesliga both turned a small profit.

The Premier League spent £1 billion overall with a net spend of more than £800m, a considerable increase on last summer.  Chelsea (£155.9m net) and Manchester City (£87.1m,) were responsible for much of the spending, followed by Leeds (£79.4m), Tottenham Hotspur (£76.9m) and Aston Villa (£74.1m).  Between them these five clubs were responsible for 59 per cent of the net spend.

Of other top six clubs, Liverpool had a net spend of £34m, Manchester United £32.3m and Arsenal £16.5m.   Burnley's net spend was negligible and West Ham, Crystal Palace and Brighton all made net profits.

One sign of caution was that there was no run on superstars in their late prime.  Of the 27 biggest fees paid this summer, only one went to a player over 27.

So, once again, the Premier League bubble has not burst.

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